Monday, January 17, 2011

perspective.

January 17, 2011
Sometimes I wonder what I would be doing if i was at home right now. I think about my friends and what they’re doing. I think about my family doing their thing without me. I think about my boyfriend half way around the world. But then I think about where I am. How cool is it that I get to live in Peru for a year? How many people who are 20 get to do that? Not many that I know of. Instead of having to worry about the crazy politics and gas prices at home I get to spend time with 7 other missionaries here who are all wonderful people. I have no class schedule to follow, no tests to study for, and no homework. I am treated like an adult- sometimes more than I think I deserve or can do. I have the opportunity to live like a local here and truly experience the culture. I get to take bucket showers every day and eat rice and beans more than I care to. I get to do laundry by hand when our washer quits working. I’m learning a new language. I get to do VBS in an extremely poor village where there is no water or electricity. And the kids there LOVE all of us with everything they’ve got. I get to have a year of summer. :) I don’t have to see the magazines with all the stupid celebrity gossip. I only get to internet about once a week. I’m learning more about myself every day. I’m learning more about God and how great he is. I get to go out to our yard and pick some fruit and make smoothies whenever I want.
Granted, there are still some really, really, hard days. Sometimes I miss my family so much it hurts. I think about Mitchell all the time and I can’t wait to be back with him. But here I am in Peru, and that’s pretty rockin’. I’ve made it to January 17. Wow.
This has been the biggest adventure of my life and I know I will miss it when I leave.
This isn’t something that has been easy. I haven’t loved every day here. You know about last week- all I wanted to do was go home. When we were robbed on the river I didn’t know if I could stay here the rest of the year. When my uncle died I wanted to go home more than ever. It’s not been an easy journey by any stretch of the imagination. But I know that God has carried me through every day that I’ve spent here.
And here’s the other thing- it’s all about perspective.